AP Lets Martin Gaskell Speak

The AP report on the academic freedom case coming from University of Kentucky is perhaps the most we've heard from astronomer Martin Gaskell yet:

A Christian astronomer who sued the University of Kentucky for religious discrimination says the perceived divide between faith and science is an "illusion."

Martin Gaskell claimed he lost out on a top science job because of his professed faith and statements he made that were taken to be critical of evolution. The controversy fueled the long-running debate between scientists and Christians who believe the Bible refutes some scientific discoveries.

Gaskell said the two sides can find agreement. He has, as a devout Christian who uses the tools of science to study the universe.

"That's one of the things that people like myself really want to counter, is this
idea of some sort of incompatibility between religion and science," Gaskell told The Associated Press.

The remarkable thing in this case, as Casey Luskin reported at ID the Future podcast, is that it wasn't Gaskell's actual views that got him in trouble, but his suspected views, based upon the knowledge that he was a) "an evangelical" and b) that he sees room for questioning Darwin's theory.

Gaskell said scientists shouldn't be discouraged or rejected for holding non-mainstream views.

"The question some people ask me is 'If I were a biologist and if I did have major doubts about the theory of evolution, would that disqualify me from being a biologist?'" he said. "And I'd firmly say 'No ...'"

...

"One thing I feel really strongly about that we need to convey to students that the scientific questions are not all settled," he said. "If all scientific questions were settled I think science would be rather dull, because what I like doing is research and solving unsolved problems."

Martin Gaskell is living proof that one doesn't need to be a proponent of intelligent design to think that Darwin's theory should be taught in a way that allows students to think for themselves.